The Case Against Free Speech: The First Amendment, Fascism, and the Future of Dissent

A thought provoking book focused on how power and money factor into free speech. This book highlights the money funneling into suppressing free speech. It also takes a long look back at how our government has moved to limit speech seemingly from the moment the ink dried on the Bill of Rights. Highly recommend.

This book has an unfortunate title, because it is not really a case against free speech. It's more a socialist/Marxist analysis of the concept of free speech. It would more properly be called something like "The Truth about Free Speech," but of course I think the title as it is will sell a lot more books than the title I suggest here. I guess Marxist thought needs capitalism to sell its books.Anyway, the basic point of the book is a socialist one: why are we running around touting free speech when some people are oppressed, don't have basic needs met, and are subject to state violence? Does free speech matter in that case? And in fact the wealthy and powerful define free speech in their favor, and the oppressed need more than speech, they need action. But of course taking action such as civil disobedience crosses the line, and is banned and those who engage in it are punished. So free speech remains meaningless because all that is really free is the rights of the rich and powerful to continue to stomp on your neck.Ultimately, I remain unconvinced. Conservatives are on an anti-free speech tear, with the campus watch lists designed to intimidate anyone who they deem not loyal enough to The Great State, and to ruin the careers of those who advocate for Palestinian rights. The fight against this intimidation is a free speech issue, and the oppressed need to be allowed to say their opinion freely, even if it doesn't involve bootlicking of the military or the cops or a piece of cloth. I see no other way to support these rights than to support free speech in general, for everyone, even if, especially if, it expresses an idea that offends the Orange illiterate one. (For those reading this in 2120 AD, the "Orange illiterate one" is a reference to Donald Trump, who I assume is still your president as you read this).

this book changed my life and really made me think more about the first amendment and why Americans don't engage with it more critically. who decides what speech matters, what speech is truly free, and what are its limits? everyone should read this book.

A compelling read— informed and informative; but not dull or droning at all. Highly recommended.

The author takes a very contraversial point of view in this polemic concerningour conceptions and misconceptions of what constitutes speech. The idea thatspeech is not free and it is connected to money. The ordinary citizen is one voice ina crowd while the meritocratic elite class have the money to amplify their speech anddrown out the masses to affect policy.Mobilization of the masses would skew the author's premise but the book is worththe read to bring the contraversy out of the shadows for a dose of sunshine.

Don't be put off by the title. The writer has taken time to explain what you don't know about free speech; he expands on its value. The book takes its time to explain 100 years of misunderstanding. The approach is logical, and research is solid. The next chapter in a wave of understanding for American politics.

Fundamentally unorganized, poorly written, and ahistorical, this book never manages to resolve its internal contradictions or to convincingly support its central thesis.

A short, absorbing read that is much more than its provocative title. One of those boy, I disagree, but this is enlightening books. Read it, or you will violate the author's free speech!!?1